"One of the Best Fighting Games of all time."

Sega-AM2 was behind the release of the Virtua Fighter Series. The franchise was a major success as it was the first to introduce 3D Fighting to the masses. After Virtua Fighter 4 was released in 2002, the game was expanded upon until the game was remade into Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution in 2003.

Graphics:10/10

The graphics are beautiful in this game. Each character is detailed to the highest quality so you can see the facial detailing and muscular details of each character in the game. The stages are also beautifully remade from VF4, as each of them received an upgrade from before.

Sound:9/10

The sound of the attacks are the same as VF4, as you here the swishing off a full-spinning kick and the blunt force of a punch nailing someone in the face. The music in the game is also good, but the music in a few stages seemed like a step down from the previous game.

Controls: range from 8-10/10

The controls in this game are fluid and responsive. The one problem with the controls are that they require adjusting to execute some of the moves in the game. Once you adjust the controls, the game will be fun, but you will need to get adjusted to your own controls. Once you have the controls adjusted right, you can do all of the moves in the game on the normal PS2 Controller instead of an arcade stick.

Gameplay:10/10

The game consists of several modes: Arcade, Quest, Vs., and Training. The Arcade mode has you choose which of 4 paths you will fight through with one of the 15 characters in the game. You clear this mode after you clear 9 stages. Afterwards, you are taken to an optional fight with the boss of the game.

The Quest mode allows you to play through several arcades until you can compete in the final tournament. You use one of the game's characters to fight through the arcades and gain ranking. As you clear arcades, you will unlock more arcades, colors for your outfits, and customizable items, which you can use to give your character a unique look among the game's fighters. You also unlock new Main Menu Wallpapers as you do special requirements in the Quest Mode. A feature in Quest Mode is the Event Square, where you can compete in underground tournaments that contain some of the games hardest opponents, and a movie screening area where you view all of the movies you bought.

The Vs. Mode is the traditional mode in almost every other fighting game, where you compete against another player.

The Training Mode has 3 settings: Command Training, Free Training, and Trial Training. The command training has you go through your characters entire command listing. Free training has you practice with any character against any character to any setting you want to practice in. The trial training is the hardest, has it has 4 sections which test how good you are with your character. Under Trial training, you have 4 choices: Tutorial, which teaches you some of the basics you could use in a battle; Tactics/Advice, which has you practice with combos and set-ups; Challenge, which tests your ability as a player; and Mission Practice, which has you complete the 30 missions that you will find in Arcade Mode.

The 15 character in the game are each unique as their fighting styles never duplicate. From Hakkyoku-Ken and Ninjutsu to Judo and Muay Thai, each character represent a different style. There are two new additions in this game as compared to the last one. They are Goh Hinogami, a Judo expert working as an assassin, and Brad Burns, a Muay Thai fighter who has gained recognition from his fights in the ring. Because of the dissimilarity of each character, each character requires you to play differently. This game is also more technical than many other fighting games, causing many casual players to drop the game. Because of its technicality, it can be very fun trying to master your character of choice and coming up with new combos for that character. All in all, the gameplay is fantastic and is one of the best in awhile.

Overall: 10/10

Easily one of the best fighting games of all, this should not be passed up as long as you can still find the game.

Buy, Rent, or Avoid: Buy

A must get for any fighting game fan, it should not be missed by anyone who enjoys fighting games.